Managing Director of NAN promises to prioritise staff welfare

The new Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Ima Niboro, has promised to prioritise staff welfare during his tenure.
Niboro, 47, gave the assurance on Monday during his first official interaction with the workers at the headquarters in Abuja.
“I want to pledge that my tenure here will be devoted to your welfare,” he said to staff members, four days after his appointment was announced by the Federal Government.
He added: “We have about 800 staff members nationwide.
“When you have 800 men and women, we are talking about 5,000 dependants because we have wives, husbands, children, relatives and hangers on.
“Of course, you know in Africa, we have a welfare society based on family relationships.”
Niboro, who recounted his experience as a young journalist in Lagos running around to meet deadlines, said he was aware of current challenges of the profession.
He said: “I remember those days when we used to join the ‘molue’ in Idumota and go to CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) to cover assignments.
“It was terrible, but we thank God journalism has changed.”
Niboro, former Special Adviser on Media to the President Goodluck Jonathan, commended the journalists in NAN for upholding the ethics of the profession over the years.
He said the Nigerian media had been characterised by a “raging madness”, which NAN has not been associated with.
He urged staff of the agency to continue to do their best to uphold the integrity of NAN, established in 1978 to promote the objective reportage of Nigeria.
Some staff members commended President Jonathan for appointing a seasoned journalist to head the agency.
They appealed to the new management to prioritise the training of staff and address issues of housing, allowances and prompt payment of transfer allowances.
Sani Adamu, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Production and Library, urged the new helmsman to resuscitate NAN satellite system for news dissemination.
Adamu also appealed for the creation of more offices for Executive Directors in the Editorial Eepartment, which has the highest number of staff in the agency.
According to him, more executive positions in the editorial department will ensure career progression for journalists in the agency.
Niboro, a graduate of English from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Master’s Degree in International Relations.
He is married and has children.